By MICHELLE BESAW
ROUSES POINT — Vendors will now have to pay $500 per day to use the Civic Center here.
The fee was set to help pay off a five-year $168,875 serial bond, which was closed Monday.
"We can't go on letting people use it for nothing," said Village Trustee Francis Baker.
"I think we need to come down to a reality that we need to charge a reasonable rate," Trustee Jean Blitz agreed.
While the 39 Lake St. property was never lent for free, Mayor George Rivers said they charged on a case-by-case basis.
"We never set a rate before," he said.
The new rule does exclude nonprofit organizations, which is a relief to Jason Andrew, who runs the annual Fete de Danse and other nonprofit arts events.
"We have to have a venue," Andrew said at Tuesday night's Village Board meeting.
He argued that events, such as Fete de Danse, have generated audiences of up to 500 people, who then eat at the restaurants and increase local business. Last year, Andrew used the Civic Center for three weeks and was charged $750.
"I'm not saying it's a get-out-of-jail-free card," he said about being a nonprofit.
"I would like to keep it in this community."
For now, the Village Board will maintain the case-by-case fee system for nonprofits, pending further discussion.
E-mail Michelle Besaw at: mbesaw@pressrepublican.com
